The film is based on C.J. Dennis' 1915 Australian poem The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke. The film was produce by a South Australian company, The Southern Cross Feature film Co, and shot in New South Wales. Most of the exteriors were filmed in the Sydney suburb Woolloomooloo, Manley Beach, Bondi and The Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney. Interiors were shot at Wonderland City in Bondi. The text on the inter-titles (designed by Lyell) was taken directly from Dennis' poem.
Raymond Longford and Lottie Lyell, the writers/directors/stars were the most successful film partnership in Australia at the time. This film broke all existing box office records after debuting on October 4 1919 at Melbourne Town Hall in Victoria.
This version comes from a second generation VHS copy from a U-Matic video tape distributed by the New South Wales Department of Education in the early 1980s. This is an incomplete version of the film which is Public Domain as all motion picture and literary copyrights in this version have expired under Australian Law.
The negative of this film was recently discovered in the archives of George Eastman House (mislabled "The Sentimental Blonde"). The copyright restored edition premiered in 2004.
There is no musical accompaniment on this video. It is completely silent. The video quality is not great. I have uploaded the film due to a number of requests and because there is not enough PD Australian cinema freely available.
Cast:
Arthur Tauchert ...The Bloke Lottie Lyell...Doreen Gilbert Emery...Ginger Mick Stanley Robinson...The Bloke's Friend Harry Young...The Stror 'at Coot Margaret Reid..Mother Charles Keegan...Parson William Coulter...Uncle Jim Helen Fergus...Nurse C.J. Dennis...Himself
Reviewer:Retro_Saiyan
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July 30, 2008 Subject:
Please Download This
This is widely regarded as Australia's finest silent film, and although the you may have trouble understanding the plot-line, it's worth watching for the fantastic footage of Australian life back then. PLEASE DOWNLOAD THIS!